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Faerene Apocalypse #1
Stray Magic
The world ends when the griffins arrive.
The Faerene Migration has begun, and with it, the world as she knows it ends for Amy Carlton. But she's no ordinary spoiled college student. Amy has skills.
Magistrate Istvan is a griffin magician. He signed up for the Faerene Migration knowing that the price for saving Earth would be paid in hellfire and blood. He never expected to bond with a human familiar.
No prepper could have anticipated the Faerene. The griffins, dragons, unicorns, werewolves, elves and ogres have forever changed the rules of survival.
There's a new game in town, and Amy intends to win it - with or without a grumpy black griffin partner.
The Faerene Migration has begun, and with it, the world as she knows it ends for Amy Carlton. But she's no ordinary spoiled college student. Amy has skills.
Magistrate Istvan is a griffin magician. He signed up for the Faerene Migration knowing that the price for saving Earth would be paid in hellfire and blood. He never expected to bond with a human familiar.
No prepper could have anticipated the Faerene. The griffins, dragons, unicorns, werewolves, elves and ogres have forever changed the rules of survival.
There's a new game in town, and Amy intends to win it - with or without a grumpy black griffin partner.
178 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 26, 2019
810 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Schwartz
110 books569 followersAustralian science fiction and fantasy author.
Avid reader.
Jenny Schwartz has a degree in sociology and history, and a lifelong fascination with understanding people. Her character-driven science fiction and fantasy novels explore other worlds and how people navigate strange situations and complicated emotions, while retaining their sense of self. Her plots are twisty and unexpected.
***
I've curated my bookshelf to share books which I hope readers of Caldryn Parliament will enjoy. With the older books, please be aware that they are a product of their times and read with care.
Avid reader.
Jenny Schwartz has a degree in sociology and history, and a lifelong fascination with understanding people. Her character-driven science fiction and fantasy novels explore other worlds and how people navigate strange situations and complicated emotions, while retaining their sense of self. Her plots are twisty and unexpected.
***
I've curated my bookshelf to share books which I hope readers of Caldryn Parliament will enjoy. With the older books, please be aware that they are a product of their times and read with care.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
February 13, 2022
Such an interesting idea. But every choice the protagonist is always the right choice. The story lacks tension and doesn't create an emotional connection to the story. I wanted the author to delve into the story more deeply. The first half of the story is found family and surviving the apocalypse. And its a really well researched and thought out survival. It's impressive. But all the characters (and there a quite a few) are introduced but just barely. You don't love them. You aren't rooting for them. You are told that the protagonist views them as family... but the details of why, the true small moments of bonding aren't shown, just told.
Then the second half... argggh. I get that the apocalypse was a way to "save" the Earth, but at what cost? The magicians are the definition of "I'm saving you from yourself, for your own good, and you are going to thank me for it, with a good attitude or you will die." Literally the whole second half is how the protagonist is going to have to become the slave of these invading magicians.... for her own good, and be happy about it, and totally trusting, or she'll die. And many of the other participants choose death. And she sees the invaders points of view... because they are the "saviors." But they are still all for this forced slavery (and torture btw.) or death. They can't opt out of this. They were stolen from the homes they've created after the apocalypse, and now it's slavery (and thankful for it) or die. I'm just so mad. She never stands up for the people they are killing indiscriminately. One second she says she's never going to trust them, and two pages later, she's trusting wholeheartedly.
It felt like two books, and neither of them were fully fleshed out.
Then the second half... argggh. I get that the apocalypse was a way to "save" the Earth, but at what cost? The magicians are the definition of "I'm saving you from yourself, for your own good, and you are going to thank me for it, with a good attitude or you will die." Literally the whole second half is how the protagonist is going to have to become the slave of these invading magicians.... for her own good, and be happy about it, and totally trusting, or she'll die. And many of the other participants choose death. And she sees the invaders points of view... because they are the "saviors." But they are still all for this forced slavery (and torture btw.) or death. They can't opt out of this. They were stolen from the homes they've created after the apocalypse, and now it's slavery (and thankful for it) or die. I'm just so mad. She never stands up for the people they are killing indiscriminately. One second she says she's never going to trust them, and two pages later, she's trusting wholeheartedly.
It felt like two books, and neither of them were fully fleshed out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2025
What a fabulous breath of fresh air for a reader who needed something other than the uber popular but somewhat overused fantasy plots so prevalent right now. This story (and series, it looks like) is completely and fabulously different and wonderful! *sigh* I think I’m actually in love… with this author, the main character, the plot, the people…. *double sigh*
So, what makes it so unique? Well, to begin with, it is a fantasy, but one set on THIS world - it’s post apocalyptic (but without the graphic horrors that could have included). The book centers around Amy, a 20 something year old who is struggling, along with her new-found “family” to live off the land and survive with the new revelation that an entire universe of “faerene” (encompassing Fae, werewolves, elves, vampires etc. etc) have just saved the earth from total annihilation but are now here to stay. She is also hit with the revelation that she carries magic and will now be the familiar of a very high placed being in the Faerene society. The option? Agree or die.
What follows is a surprisingly riveting story that follows her through the trials and realities of this new life. It isn’t the usual huge battles, intrigues, betrayals, etc. that often inhabit fantasy worlds. But it is a surprisingly addictive story that draws the reader in so perfectly that we don’t want to put it down and leave Amy and her world behind.
So, what makes it so unique? Well, to begin with, it is a fantasy, but one set on THIS world - it’s post apocalyptic (but without the graphic horrors that could have included). The book centers around Amy, a 20 something year old who is struggling, along with her new-found “family” to live off the land and survive with the new revelation that an entire universe of “faerene” (encompassing Fae, werewolves, elves, vampires etc. etc) have just saved the earth from total annihilation but are now here to stay. She is also hit with the revelation that she carries magic and will now be the familiar of a very high placed being in the Faerene society. The option? Agree or die.
What follows is a surprisingly riveting story that follows her through the trials and realities of this new life. It isn’t the usual huge battles, intrigues, betrayals, etc. that often inhabit fantasy worlds. But it is a surprisingly addictive story that draws the reader in so perfectly that we don’t want to put it down and leave Amy and her world behind.
March 17, 2021
Oh no I have to wait almost 2 months for book 2, tears.
The wait is over book 2 is out and picks up where this book ends.
Wow, get this book and start reading. Why...
The reason for the return of Magic is sound. The destruction and rebuilding of society is compelling. And appeals to my inner survivalist, sim-civilization creator desires. Plus NO zombies.
Love Amy and Rory and Istvan. And so many interesting secondary characters.
Looking forward to the establishment of Istvan's magistrate and all it involves.
Off to buy the KU copy and then read this again. Already putting it in my favorite rereads collection.
Stories like this is why Jenny's books are auto buys for me.
cross posted amazon, goodreads, bookbub
The wait is over book 2 is out and picks up where this book ends.
Wow, get this book and start reading. Why...
The reason for the return of Magic is sound. The destruction and rebuilding of society is compelling. And appeals to my inner survivalist, sim-civilization creator desires. Plus NO zombies.
Love Amy and Rory and Istvan. And so many interesting secondary characters.
Looking forward to the establishment of Istvan's magistrate and all it involves.
Off to buy the KU copy and then read this again. Already putting it in my favorite rereads collection.
Stories like this is why Jenny's books are auto buys for me.
cross posted amazon, goodreads, bookbub
April 20, 2022
Where do I sign up for this "apocalypse" that rids the world of plastics and fossil fuels???
Disjointed story telling, no actual conflict or romance, the heroine has no character growth, everything she does is reactionary.
First half is doomsday prepping, second half is Hogwarts:Boot Camp Edition. I wish it skipped the first half. Or, when she was recounting her past during Boot camp, we could have learned a short version of the prepper story then.
Why even bother showing the faerene's POV if it's only going to cover the boring parts? The book sure mentions the battle a lot, but we never witness it! Also I don't think he's the romantic interest, so what are we even doing with this boring dude?
Great concept for an apocalypse, but disappointing execution.
Disjointed story telling, no actual conflict or romance, the heroine has no character growth, everything she does is reactionary.
First half is doomsday prepping, second half is Hogwarts:Boot Camp Edition. I wish it skipped the first half. Or, when she was recounting her past during Boot camp, we could have learned a short version of the prepper story then.
Why even bother showing the faerene's POV if it's only going to cover the boring parts? The book sure mentions the battle a lot, but we never witness it! Also I don't think he's the romantic interest, so what are we even doing with this boring dude?
Great concept for an apocalypse, but disappointing execution.
August 1, 2025
Ever since I found this author and literally gobbled down her sci-fi backlist (several of her series have become firm favorites), I've been eyeing this one. I shied away because it has a couple elements I don't generally jam with - I don't tend to read dystopias (too depressing / stressful), or YA/NA (too angsty, nearly always written as these overwrought TSTL characters).
But I love this author and decided to give it a whirl. I'm SO GLAD that I did.
While the depressing world-ending stuff does happen, it largely happens in a hand-wavy way. We're pulled tight into the POV of our lead character, Amy, and her banding together with some folks in the small town she's been stranded in for the apocalypse (she was going to be working at a summer camp out in the middle of woodsy western PA). You get small awareness of devastation in the broad world, but mostly you're focused on Amy and her found family, the bonds they form, how they survive together. Rather than depressing, it was inspiring.
Then it's found that she has the ability to work magic, and she's required to leave that family and be integrated into the invading people's society, because untrained magic users can be incredibly dangerous.
Amy is a great character - compassionate and resilient - and even in incredibly difficult situations, she manages to not lose herself. She finds a way through. It's endearing and inspiring. And I'm so enjoying meeting everyone in her life, from her found family that weathered the apocalypse to the people she's meeting as she integrates with the Faerene.
And I like the complexity of the Faerene. They're neither good nor bad, they're just people, and broadly, they seem to be doing their best. The set up here is that inhabited planets have a natural shield that protects them ... but if the people living on that planet weaken it (think unchecked consumption, environmental damage) the shield collapses, and they are open for invasion. There seems to be two primary empires in the wider universe: the Faerene and the Kstvn. The two swoop in on any planet that has a shield collapse - the Faerene hoping to stabilize the planet, fix the shield, and prosper as immigrants in their new home (once the shield is closed, they can't return to their old home). The Kstvn are, frankly, what humanity would be once we are unleashed on the universe - they are a predatory species that sweeps onto a vulnerable planet, strips it of all resources, and either eats or enslaves the population. In the case of this book, the Faerene managed to hold off the Kstvn long enough that they could repair the shield. But the repair devastated our world - fossil fuels were literally disappeared, as well as all petroleum products (imagine your local grocery store the day after all plastic literally vanished). No more power grid, etc. Basically, it erased about 2 centuries of technological development. In just 6 months, 6 billion people died ... either from riots, marauders stealing supplies, being unable to feed themselves, or medical issues once the plumbing and hospitals failed.
Survivors hate the Faerene, because they were the face of this devastation - the battle with the Kstvn didn't happen where people could see it, so no one knows (or, I would imagine, believes) that the Faerene helped us. They just look like invaders who nearly wiped out humanity. And now Amy is going to try to be a bridge.
I love it, and am honestly mostly through book 2 because I couldn't sleep last night, I was so sucked in.
But I love this author and decided to give it a whirl. I'm SO GLAD that I did.
While the depressing world-ending stuff does happen, it largely happens in a hand-wavy way. We're pulled tight into the POV of our lead character, Amy, and her banding together with some folks in the small town she's been stranded in for the apocalypse (she was going to be working at a summer camp out in the middle of woodsy western PA). You get small awareness of devastation in the broad world, but mostly you're focused on Amy and her found family, the bonds they form, how they survive together. Rather than depressing, it was inspiring.
Then it's found that she has the ability to work magic, and she's required to leave that family and be integrated into the invading people's society, because untrained magic users can be incredibly dangerous.
Amy is a great character - compassionate and resilient - and even in incredibly difficult situations, she manages to not lose herself. She finds a way through. It's endearing and inspiring. And I'm so enjoying meeting everyone in her life, from her found family that weathered the apocalypse to the people she's meeting as she integrates with the Faerene.
And I like the complexity of the Faerene. They're neither good nor bad, they're just people, and broadly, they seem to be doing their best. The set up here is that inhabited planets have a natural shield that protects them ... but if the people living on that planet weaken it (think unchecked consumption, environmental damage) the shield collapses, and they are open for invasion. There seems to be two primary empires in the wider universe: the Faerene and the Kstvn. The two swoop in on any planet that has a shield collapse - the Faerene hoping to stabilize the planet, fix the shield, and prosper as immigrants in their new home (once the shield is closed, they can't return to their old home). The Kstvn are, frankly, what humanity would be once we are unleashed on the universe - they are a predatory species that sweeps onto a vulnerable planet, strips it of all resources, and either eats or enslaves the population. In the case of this book, the Faerene managed to hold off the Kstvn long enough that they could repair the shield. But the repair devastated our world - fossil fuels were literally disappeared, as well as all petroleum products (imagine your local grocery store the day after all plastic literally vanished). No more power grid, etc. Basically, it erased about 2 centuries of technological development. In just 6 months, 6 billion people died ... either from riots, marauders stealing supplies, being unable to feed themselves, or medical issues once the plumbing and hospitals failed.
Survivors hate the Faerene, because they were the face of this devastation - the battle with the Kstvn didn't happen where people could see it, so no one knows (or, I would imagine, believes) that the Faerene helped us. They just look like invaders who nearly wiped out humanity. And now Amy is going to try to be a bridge.
I love it, and am honestly mostly through book 2 because I couldn't sleep last night, I was so sucked in.
August 19, 2019
Calling MarySue!
I got to 31% of this book before I had to stop. I hated just seeing it in my library.
It was a bunch of small things that made me dread trying to read anymore.
A few examples but far from all of the items I noticed:
Pre-apocalypse she goes to a place to buy boots. Not a shoe store but a cobbler's.
Goes to buy new bolts for her crossbow, not to a sporting goods store but to a blacksmith's shop. In a town of a few hundred people.
She's supposed to be from New York. Speaks like she is from the UK.
Again, a town of a few hundred people and there just happens to be the ex-Army guy they need living in town.
The constant 'we are killing the planet and billions of people must die to come back into balance' crap.
A dragon states all petroleum will be returning to the ground. Goes on further to say plastics will all disappear. Well duh! What does the author think makes up a good portion of plastic? Hint: plastic is a petroleum product.
MC just happens to find a woman to live with that has a 200 year old house, just happens to have a barn and multiple sheds, just happens to find all the people they will need to survive the Apocalypse in the first couple of days and they are all 'good' people, just happens to have rich parents that threw money at her rather than interact with her, just happens to have used said money to take "camps" to teach her all these survival skills she is going to need.
Since I didn't go past 31%, I am not sure if the author addressed the fact that shingles are, you guessed it, a petroleum product.
I got to 31% of this book before I had to stop. I hated just seeing it in my library.
It was a bunch of small things that made me dread trying to read anymore.
A few examples but far from all of the items I noticed:
Pre-apocalypse she goes to a place to buy boots. Not a shoe store but a cobbler's.
Goes to buy new bolts for her crossbow, not to a sporting goods store but to a blacksmith's shop. In a town of a few hundred people.
She's supposed to be from New York. Speaks like she is from the UK.
Again, a town of a few hundred people and there just happens to be the ex-Army guy they need living in town.
The constant 'we are killing the planet and billions of people must die to come back into balance' crap.
A dragon states all petroleum will be returning to the ground. Goes on further to say plastics will all disappear. Well duh! What does the author think makes up a good portion of plastic? Hint: plastic is a petroleum product.
MC just happens to find a woman to live with that has a 200 year old house, just happens to have a barn and multiple sheds, just happens to find all the people they will need to survive the Apocalypse in the first couple of days and they are all 'good' people, just happens to have rich parents that threw money at her rather than interact with her, just happens to have used said money to take "camps" to teach her all these survival skills she is going to need.
Since I didn't go past 31%, I am not sure if the author addressed the fact that shingles are, you guessed it, a petroleum product.
February 18, 2019
Actually Original!
This was a fast paced story full of well rounded and interesting individual characters. Add in a heroine who is only a bit kick butt but more empathetic, more of the heart and soul than black leather and swords. Lastly, a very unique apocalypse and there you have it... An actually unique story! Best author i've read since Anne Bishop and can't wait until the next book!
This was a fast paced story full of well rounded and interesting individual characters. Add in a heroine who is only a bit kick butt but more empathetic, more of the heart and soul than black leather and swords. Lastly, a very unique apocalypse and there you have it... An actually unique story! Best author i've read since Anne Bishop and can't wait until the next book!
October 24, 2019
Let's start with go ahead and read this book. There's enough interesting elements and the the book itself is fairly short. I see a lot of potential for this writer further down the line. She's got that ineffable spark that makes readers keep turning pages even when the thinking mind is less than enchanted.
Sounds like a backhanded compliment, but that's not how I meant it. What is see is a writer who would benefit from a writer's group (or beta readers) and a substantive edit but who has the raw magnetism to keep reading inspire of all of that.
Plot wise, "Stray Magic" is all over the place. It meanders. It makes hard right and left changes. Stuff that should be important isn't until "oh wait here it is." The book feels like two almost three separate stories all crammed together. And often the way characters just gel together seems very plot convenient and not an earned moment. I know I just complained about too many different plots, but there is also not enough conflict. Like everything that should be hard to do just happens.
Like friendships and camaraderie often doesn't feel earned. The trust our MC puts in many statements, especially when there's so much contrary evidence is unearned. Her trusting nature and her constant rehashing of whats both obvious and boring are her two greatest faults (first person narrative).
That said, overall I like the characters. I don't mind the interactions though I wish there was more and that the moments felt more earned and meaningful. Again this book as the depth of a first draft where a second or third pass might have given more weight and strife.
If you have Kindle Unlimited, this is an awesome series to read. You've already invested your money, so might as well. The full price for the ebook is $3.99. It's 153 pages so that's about $.02 a page. Also reasonable.
At the time I'm writing this review books 1-3 are out. 4 will drop in a few days and the summary for 5 is already available. I respect Schwartz's long thinking plan. I've read 1-3 and will be reading 4. I don't know how I feel about having a sneak peak at the conclusions of 4 based on 5's summary.
Sounds like a backhanded compliment, but that's not how I meant it. What is see is a writer who would benefit from a writer's group (or beta readers) and a substantive edit but who has the raw magnetism to keep reading inspire of all of that.
Plot wise, "Stray Magic" is all over the place. It meanders. It makes hard right and left changes. Stuff that should be important isn't until "oh wait here it is." The book feels like two almost three separate stories all crammed together. And often the way characters just gel together seems very plot convenient and not an earned moment. I know I just complained about too many different plots, but there is also not enough conflict. Like everything that should be hard to do just happens.
Like friendships and camaraderie often doesn't feel earned. The trust our MC puts in many statements, especially when there's so much contrary evidence is unearned. Her trusting nature and her constant rehashing of whats both obvious and boring are her two greatest faults (first person narrative).
That said, overall I like the characters. I don't mind the interactions though I wish there was more and that the moments felt more earned and meaningful. Again this book as the depth of a first draft where a second or third pass might have given more weight and strife.
If you have Kindle Unlimited, this is an awesome series to read. You've already invested your money, so might as well. The full price for the ebook is $3.99. It's 153 pages so that's about $.02 a page. Also reasonable.
At the time I'm writing this review books 1-3 are out. 4 will drop in a few days and the summary for 5 is already available. I respect Schwartz's long thinking plan. I've read 1-3 and will be reading 4. I don't know how I feel about having a sneak peak at the conclusions of 4 based on 5's summary.
January 9, 2023
I was impressed for about half this book- it read like an apocalypse version of Stardew Valley! Everything had its place and it was all about farming. Was loving this perfect version of the end of the world where all the characters had exactly the skills needed and they were becoming a “family” with no issues between them. She even shares a bed with a total stranger- he’s gay so that’s ok? They all met and accepted each other a little too easily…
It was a little too good to be true. Anyway- the story lost me during the trial that Amy endures. The tutor and physics talks made me skim and the whole vigil thing didn’t make sense to me. And what’s the deal with Rory??
So Amy is a badass Jill of all trades that is chosen to be Istevan’s familiar and the band hits the road. Next book!
That all said- I am interested enough to continue and I don’t know if sexy times are in their way? Hopefully.
It was a little too good to be true. Anyway- the story lost me during the trial that Amy endures. The tutor and physics talks made me skim and the whole vigil thing didn’t make sense to me. And what’s the deal with Rory??
So Amy is a badass Jill of all trades that is chosen to be Istevan’s familiar and the band hits the road. Next book!
That all said- I am interested enough to continue and I don’t know if sexy times are in their way? Hopefully.
February 23, 2019
I have some issues
There was very good writing here. But the world-building was flawed and detracted from the whole.
A lot of focus was placed on the crossbow and then it essentially disappeared from the novel. This happened a lot: things were central and important and then they stopped being mentioned. I also take issue with the MC. She was very MarySue without being MarySue. Rich, distant parents who lavished her with money, yet she has none of the expected hang ups of entitlement. Survivalist training? The character was too unbelievable.
Not enough time was spent developing the ‘rift’ story and the Kvstm(?).
No noticeable typos. A few instances of knowledge suddenly present that had no source.
In the end, I fought to suspend disbelief. A good novel makes it easier.
There was very good writing here. But the world-building was flawed and detracted from the whole.
A lot of focus was placed on the crossbow and then it essentially disappeared from the novel. This happened a lot: things were central and important and then they stopped being mentioned. I also take issue with the MC. She was very MarySue without being MarySue. Rich, distant parents who lavished her with money, yet she has none of the expected hang ups of entitlement. Survivalist training? The character was too unbelievable.
Not enough time was spent developing the ‘rift’ story and the Kvstm(?).
No noticeable typos. A few instances of knowledge suddenly present that had no source.
In the end, I fought to suspend disbelief. A good novel makes it easier.
November 18, 2021
Mary Sue survives the End Times…
A little bit survivalist, a little bit magic university. The Earther POV was first person, the Faerene third, not certain if that was a good or bad thing, at least it highlighted the two worldviews.
World building was a bit handwavy, all worlds are shielded, but human hubris led to that shield weakening. Fae invaded first and for some reason, they all look like creatures from western mythology and practice balance and magic, while the other guys are a high-tech insectoid Borg species who invade, exploit and move on after reducing the planet to a dried up husk.
Maybe humans were colonizers to begin with too, and earth has seen several waves of migrants as the mystic shield has waxed and waned.
A little bit survivalist, a little bit magic university. The Earther POV was first person, the Faerene third, not certain if that was a good or bad thing, at least it highlighted the two worldviews.
World building was a bit handwavy, all worlds are shielded, but human hubris led to that shield weakening. Fae invaded first and for some reason, they all look like creatures from western mythology and practice balance and magic, while the other guys are a high-tech insectoid Borg species who invade, exploit and move on after reducing the planet to a dried up husk.
Maybe humans were colonizers to begin with too, and earth has seen several waves of migrants as the mystic shield has waxed and waned.
April 23, 2025
This was my first book by this author, I came back to do my review after finishing the series of five books. This was a cozy fantasy apocalypse that features all the best of the Fae and dragons. I love a book about the good folk, throw in some dragons and griffins, and I am hooked. This is true escapism. This is not SJM's ripoff of Anne Bishop's Black Jewels. This is cozy, no nail-biting fun, well written with engaging dialogue, and some timely concepts. Each book feeds into the next with only book four having a cliff hanger, no wait time though, because book five is already out. I was very satisfied with the ending, no loose threads. I did go ahead and pick another book from this author right after I finished and will follow this author. Age level 13+
June 12, 2022
This is a very different read. The MC is forced into slavery after catastrophic world events. Now she is forced to tie herself to them. She is a survivalist, she has fought and worked hard to have it all just striped away. She is almost too accepting of it but she sees no other option but death. Which honestly is completely crap, and the way the other try to pull the humans to become acceptable slaves is just awful. The trauma is heavy, they where basically mind raped, and their bodies kept uncomfortable. To give the humans no choice just seems wrong. It would of been better for them to teach the new magic humans rather than to in slave them or kill them.
I did like the world building and the MC new family unit she created.
I did like the world building and the MC new family unit she created.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2019
Fascinating
The heroine is a learned, skilled individual that takes practical steps to survive.
The time after the Fae apocalypse was dry but glossed over a lot of unpleasantness. The unity of the town was refreshing.
The viewpoint of the Faerene was interesting and the trial traumatic.
I'm looking forward to book 2!
The heroine is a learned, skilled individual that takes practical steps to survive.
The time after the Fae apocalypse was dry but glossed over a lot of unpleasantness. The unity of the town was refreshing.
The viewpoint of the Faerene was interesting and the trial traumatic.
I'm looking forward to book 2!
August 23, 2019
I loved the first half of the book. The second half, not so much. I will buy the next book in the series
February 26, 2025
At less than 200 pages I would call the books of this series 'novellas', so it is easy to binge the series. With a Sci-Fi premise (aliens from another world 'rescue' Earth), but primarily paranormal themes (elves, orcs, griffins, oh my!), this story starts with an Apocalypse - and so is an interesting multi-genre tale. The first 'book' is about how folks on Earth survive the Apocalypse, with our smart resilient protagonist providing the focus. In an overview of the series I felt the first 2 books definitely had a LitRPG feel to the writing, which I enjoyed. Despite the catastrophic scenario the stories come across as fairly low stakes, which I was in the mood for. Creative world-building and magical concepts helped keep me entertained.
While I finished the series because I wanted to discover how our plucky heroine saves the day, the characterizations were more told than shown, and consequently suffered by the lack of emotional connection I felt for them.
While I finished the series because I wanted to discover how our plucky heroine saves the day, the characterizations were more told than shown, and consequently suffered by the lack of emotional connection I felt for them.
April 21, 2021
Loved Stray Magic
Amelia " Amy" Carlton was a 20 year old college student, working at a summer camp when the Faerene Apocalypse happened. It stated with sightings of beasts from myth and legend. The camp closed, but Amy stayed. She found a job helping on a homestead owned by a widow in her 60s.
Then the red dragon mane the announcement of what was going to happen before he ate the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. Stella and Amy knew that this was real, not some Hollywood type stunt. Together they put together a survival plan and recruited 20 year army vet, Alston "Digger" Graves, local man Jarod, a 20 something handyman, and a favorite of Stella's, along with his older brother Craig and their father Mike, retired military, and local mechanic. Then 31 year a former fire fighter. Niamh, makes her way to the area and joins the homestead.
The Faerene came to fix a rift in the Earth's protective shield. Earth had come to the attention of the Kstum, an insectoid race who saw Earth and her people as a breeding ground for their people. The magic needed to close the rift required the Faerene to returned recourses to the Earth. Life for the human race became like it was during the Renaissance. Only a billion humans survived the devastation that followed.
Amy and her small new family managed to not only survive, but thrive and were helping those in the small town they lived outside of. Amy learned whatever she could from everyone around her. Digger is like a father. Jarod and Craig the brother she never had. Mike like an uncle. Stella as close as a grandmother. Niamah, a big sister and good friend. 6 months later the Copper dragon came for Amy.
Magic has been found in some of the humans. Wild magic poses a threat to the newly repaired rift. An antient practice has been introduced. The humans must be trained and bound as a Familiar to a compatible magician or they must die.
Amy adapts the best she can to her new reality. The training is exhausting. Her instructors are empathetic. She is befriended by Timeke, a female elf magician, who is there waiting to bond with a familiar. Her unicorn instructor, Melinda, takes great care in tutoring those in her charge. Amy's unique outlook and how she sees the Faerene, ender her to many. Rory, powerful Alpha wolf and magician and well respected solider, takes great interest in Amy.
Drastic measures are taken when the humans are not progressing with devastating consequences. Amy come through but not unscathed. The powerful black griffin magistrate, Istvan, sees her struggle and offers her comfort. He is not sure what drew him to her. It is clear that they are a match. Amy is not what Istvan wanted in a familiar. He take the oath he swears to her seriously.
Amy has a talent to accept and be accepted. Istvan trades territory so Amy can been in the territory she is from. He makes it possible for her to have contact with her adopted human family. Rory volunteers to captain his guard. He is starting his own pack, where all are welcome. Amy has captured the attention of the Faerene, she sees them as people, different, an different is just that, different.
A great start to the series. Love the world building. Great characters, can't wait to see what happens next.
Amelia " Amy" Carlton was a 20 year old college student, working at a summer camp when the Faerene Apocalypse happened. It stated with sightings of beasts from myth and legend. The camp closed, but Amy stayed. She found a job helping on a homestead owned by a widow in her 60s.
Then the red dragon mane the announcement of what was going to happen before he ate the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. Stella and Amy knew that this was real, not some Hollywood type stunt. Together they put together a survival plan and recruited 20 year army vet, Alston "Digger" Graves, local man Jarod, a 20 something handyman, and a favorite of Stella's, along with his older brother Craig and their father Mike, retired military, and local mechanic. Then 31 year a former fire fighter. Niamh, makes her way to the area and joins the homestead.
The Faerene came to fix a rift in the Earth's protective shield. Earth had come to the attention of the Kstum, an insectoid race who saw Earth and her people as a breeding ground for their people. The magic needed to close the rift required the Faerene to returned recourses to the Earth. Life for the human race became like it was during the Renaissance. Only a billion humans survived the devastation that followed.
Amy and her small new family managed to not only survive, but thrive and were helping those in the small town they lived outside of. Amy learned whatever she could from everyone around her. Digger is like a father. Jarod and Craig the brother she never had. Mike like an uncle. Stella as close as a grandmother. Niamah, a big sister and good friend. 6 months later the Copper dragon came for Amy.
Magic has been found in some of the humans. Wild magic poses a threat to the newly repaired rift. An antient practice has been introduced. The humans must be trained and bound as a Familiar to a compatible magician or they must die.
Amy adapts the best she can to her new reality. The training is exhausting. Her instructors are empathetic. She is befriended by Timeke, a female elf magician, who is there waiting to bond with a familiar. Her unicorn instructor, Melinda, takes great care in tutoring those in her charge. Amy's unique outlook and how she sees the Faerene, ender her to many. Rory, powerful Alpha wolf and magician and well respected solider, takes great interest in Amy.
Drastic measures are taken when the humans are not progressing with devastating consequences. Amy come through but not unscathed. The powerful black griffin magistrate, Istvan, sees her struggle and offers her comfort. He is not sure what drew him to her. It is clear that they are a match. Amy is not what Istvan wanted in a familiar. He take the oath he swears to her seriously.
Amy has a talent to accept and be accepted. Istvan trades territory so Amy can been in the territory she is from. He makes it possible for her to have contact with her adopted human family. Rory volunteers to captain his guard. He is starting his own pack, where all are welcome. Amy has captured the attention of the Faerene, she sees them as people, different, an different is just that, different.
A great start to the series. Love the world building. Great characters, can't wait to see what happens next.
December 21, 2021
Interesting Twist on a Dystopian Novel
This is the first book in a continuing series. Though the book finishes at a natural break in the narrative, there story is nowhere near complete. Thankfully the next book is already available.
Amy has two years of college under her belt and plans to be a psychiatrist. To help attain her goal she is working a camp for sick children in rural Philadelphia. When the apocalypse starts with the arrival of dragons she realises she needs to stay in a small town away from the danger of out of control humans and dragons who eat nuclear missiles for lunch.
Amy teams up with a 70-year-old woman who has a large farmstead, no one to help farm it and great life experience and knowledge on how to get by. She and Stella work well together and they add more people to their little family to help survive the coming trials. Things get complicated when a dragon shows up and demands she go with her because she is a magic user.
The Faerene say they have saved Earth from a fate worse than death but they had to kill billions to do it. The human magic users are given no choice to work with the Faerene or face death. Amy is put in a position where in order to survive she needs to work with the people she blames for the end of the world.
This is cleverly written with lots of subtle nuances that thread through the novel. We are left wondering, along with Amy, about the nature of the Faerene. As a whole they don’t appear trustworthy, but do the individuals warrant some degree of acceptance?
Amy is a really interesting character. She’s pragmatic, thoughtful and works her way through problems mentally. She’s also compassionate, intelligent and personable. She’s spent her life learning new skills because her parents were happy to through money at her clubs, classes and camps because it meant they weren’t having to look after her themselves. She was emotionally neglected but is well aware that because her parents were wealthy she lived a privileged life and wants to do good with the benefits she received.
I’m very interested in what happens next for Amy and the characters she has comes across during the course of this first book. The author is very good at getting me to emotionally invest in the individuals I’ve read about and I want to know what happens next to them.
This is the first book in a continuing series. Though the book finishes at a natural break in the narrative, there story is nowhere near complete. Thankfully the next book is already available.
Amy has two years of college under her belt and plans to be a psychiatrist. To help attain her goal she is working a camp for sick children in rural Philadelphia. When the apocalypse starts with the arrival of dragons she realises she needs to stay in a small town away from the danger of out of control humans and dragons who eat nuclear missiles for lunch.
Amy teams up with a 70-year-old woman who has a large farmstead, no one to help farm it and great life experience and knowledge on how to get by. She and Stella work well together and they add more people to their little family to help survive the coming trials. Things get complicated when a dragon shows up and demands she go with her because she is a magic user.
The Faerene say they have saved Earth from a fate worse than death but they had to kill billions to do it. The human magic users are given no choice to work with the Faerene or face death. Amy is put in a position where in order to survive she needs to work with the people she blames for the end of the world.
This is cleverly written with lots of subtle nuances that thread through the novel. We are left wondering, along with Amy, about the nature of the Faerene. As a whole they don’t appear trustworthy, but do the individuals warrant some degree of acceptance?
Amy is a really interesting character. She’s pragmatic, thoughtful and works her way through problems mentally. She’s also compassionate, intelligent and personable. She’s spent her life learning new skills because her parents were happy to through money at her clubs, classes and camps because it meant they weren’t having to look after her themselves. She was emotionally neglected but is well aware that because her parents were wealthy she lived a privileged life and wants to do good with the benefits she received.
I’m very interested in what happens next for Amy and the characters she has comes across during the course of this first book. The author is very good at getting me to emotionally invest in the individuals I’ve read about and I want to know what happens next to them.
March 31, 2022
I got this free on Kindle Unlimited so I can’t grumble too much. I’m not the target audience for this but I imagine some will lap it up.
I read a review that said it was reminiscent of Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven. Well, yes it is, in that there’s an event that brings down civilisation and everyone goes Frontiersman very quickly. This lifestyle is obviously very appealing to the author (and seemingly to Americans in general) being a mixture of hard work, good folks and living off the land by the honest sweat of your brow. Cities are where bad stuff happens.
Not being American I can only stand a certain amount of this before it starts to grate. How much of it I can stand depends on the skill of the author. Larry Niven is (or was) a good author. Lucifer’s Hammer is a good read, even if some of the attitudes are a bit old fashioned. It is nearly 50 years old after all & things change.
Sadly Ms Schwartz doesn’t have Mr Niven’s way with a tale, and that shows itself in the rather mechanical fashion in which events happen. The protagonist happens to have a very particular set of skills. (Most useful after an apocalypse) She falls in with a farmer, they recruit some soldiers, one happens to be a dab hand with a welding torch, they set up the farm, they do this, they do that, it’s almost storytelling by lists. Seed corn? Check. Geese? Check. Good neighbours? Check, check, check.
Furthermore, it’s obvious that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. I bailed about a third of the way through as the stereotypes were wearing me down.
I read a review that said it was reminiscent of Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven. Well, yes it is, in that there’s an event that brings down civilisation and everyone goes Frontiersman very quickly. This lifestyle is obviously very appealing to the author (and seemingly to Americans in general) being a mixture of hard work, good folks and living off the land by the honest sweat of your brow. Cities are where bad stuff happens.
Not being American I can only stand a certain amount of this before it starts to grate. How much of it I can stand depends on the skill of the author. Larry Niven is (or was) a good author. Lucifer’s Hammer is a good read, even if some of the attitudes are a bit old fashioned. It is nearly 50 years old after all & things change.
Sadly Ms Schwartz doesn’t have Mr Niven’s way with a tale, and that shows itself in the rather mechanical fashion in which events happen. The protagonist happens to have a very particular set of skills. (Most useful after an apocalypse) She falls in with a farmer, they recruit some soldiers, one happens to be a dab hand with a welding torch, they set up the farm, they do this, they do that, it’s almost storytelling by lists. Seed corn? Check. Geese? Check. Good neighbours? Check, check, check.
Furthermore, it’s obvious that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. I bailed about a third of the way through as the stereotypes were wearing me down.
July 26, 2020
a bit slow, but it is a drama. dystopian and apocalyptic but not really doom and gloom, just the main characters being proactive and getting things done, not waiting for others to tell them how to survive. Also people die, but it's just mentioned in narration.
the story seems a bit thin at points, and those parts could be fleshed out to provide a deeper understanding of the situation. the lives and characteristics of the Faerene are lacking. We don't understand how they operate. probably more of a "telling" of the story than a "showing" of the story. I prefer balance in general, but here there is a lot of narration. the passage of time is oddly noted - suddenly it's been six months since the rift.
Big issue with the linear thinking that got the humans into so much trouble. WHAT IS IT??? There's no explanation (updated: even 4 books on, I'm still wondering what it is.) I understand a bit more the cyclical thinking that the Faerene espouse - birth, death and rebirth - but even that is vaguely explained. how can the humans know what to change if no one explains it??? For beings that have sacrificed their own lives and homes to save Earth, you'd think they'd do a better job at explaining how to avoid a Kvstm invasion in the future.
editing is problematic at times. object pronouns are used instead of subject pronouns and sentences are long and have confusing comma usage. Still, the concept and storyline are intriguing and I'll read on.
the story seems a bit thin at points, and those parts could be fleshed out to provide a deeper understanding of the situation. the lives and characteristics of the Faerene are lacking. We don't understand how they operate. probably more of a "telling" of the story than a "showing" of the story. I prefer balance in general, but here there is a lot of narration. the passage of time is oddly noted - suddenly it's been six months since the rift.
Big issue with the linear thinking that got the humans into so much trouble. WHAT IS IT??? There's no explanation (updated: even 4 books on, I'm still wondering what it is.) I understand a bit more the cyclical thinking that the Faerene espouse - birth, death and rebirth - but even that is vaguely explained. how can the humans know what to change if no one explains it??? For beings that have sacrificed their own lives and homes to save Earth, you'd think they'd do a better job at explaining how to avoid a Kvstm invasion in the future.
editing is problematic at times. object pronouns are used instead of subject pronouns and sentences are long and have confusing comma usage. Still, the concept and storyline are intriguing and I'll read on.
August 28, 2023
The first half was actually really interesting. I don't think I've ever really read the process of when magic takes over and how the humans survive it. I've read a lot of supernatural, magic etc books that everything has already happened and it's like 10 or 50 yrs after the fall. So it was actually really interesting to read that part. The rest unfortunately just kinda didn't do it for me. I liked Amy for the most part, although she had somehow conveniently learned all the survival skills needed to survive since she was a kid. I just couldn't with faerene and what they all thought they knew about humans and then they're all super surprised at the amount of human loss. Idk I can't really pinpoint what didn't click for me in the 2nd half. It just felt disjointed and like I was reading a story that just felt like it flip flopped multiple times. Also I am not into her and Rory at all lol so maybe my annoyance also stems from that unnecessary situationship. If you thought it would be between her and the griffin who's the other POV in the book be forewarned lol. I don't think I'll keep reading.
May 22, 2021
Loved it!
Once again Jenny Schwartz has surpassed herself and given us another new world to enjoy. This time combining the world of preppers with the fae and post apocalyptic earth.
Amy is a wonderfully strong young woman who seems to take most things in her stride and manages to make friends everywhere she goes. The characters, both human and fae, griffin, werewolf, etc are well written with personalities that are not based on their species; and I find that more interesting and realistic, because they are all intelligent creatures and should have a nature that is independent.
The setting being in North America is good as it gives us a lot of people who are able to use weapons and have the prepper 'mentality' required for a post apocalyptic time. Perhaps we would be able to manage in other countries but probably we wouldn't have guns etc. The small town setting works really well.
Once again Jenny Schwartz has surpassed herself and given us another new world to enjoy. This time combining the world of preppers with the fae and post apocalyptic earth.
Amy is a wonderfully strong young woman who seems to take most things in her stride and manages to make friends everywhere she goes. The characters, both human and fae, griffin, werewolf, etc are well written with personalities that are not based on their species; and I find that more interesting and realistic, because they are all intelligent creatures and should have a nature that is independent.
The setting being in North America is good as it gives us a lot of people who are able to use weapons and have the prepper 'mentality' required for a post apocalyptic time. Perhaps we would be able to manage in other countries but probably we wouldn't have guns etc. The small town setting works really well.
April 21, 2022
A promising start (warning - semi - spoiler alert. You're going to get to it pretty quickly anyway)
Short, well - written, and an eady read - presumably the series will gain depth as it progresses. I enjoyed the departure from the more common storylines used to connect the convergence (disastrous or otherwise) of the magical and mundane realms. A nice bit of genre bending deftly done woven lightly into the book (OK sorry I have to say it : Evil insectoid space aliens ! Fae saviors (or are they ? Hmmm) portaling in from another planet to save / colonize / (maybe exploit and rule ?) Earth. Elves, werewolves,dragons, griffons AND evil space aliens ? Yay yes please and thank you !) The characters introduced so far show promise, and the politics, machinations, and ramifications of faerene / human interaction are all teased nicely. You'll get through this book quickly because you'll definitely want to know what's next.
Short, well - written, and an eady read - presumably the series will gain depth as it progresses. I enjoyed the departure from the more common storylines used to connect the convergence (disastrous or otherwise) of the magical and mundane realms. A nice bit of genre bending deftly done woven lightly into the book (OK sorry I have to say it : Evil insectoid space aliens ! Fae saviors (or are they ? Hmmm) portaling in from another planet to save / colonize / (maybe exploit and rule ?) Earth. Elves, werewolves,dragons, griffons AND evil space aliens ? Yay yes please and thank you !) The characters introduced so far show promise, and the politics, machinations, and ramifications of faerene / human interaction are all teased nicely. You'll get through this book quickly because you'll definitely want to know what's next.
April 17, 2021
Wow!
This is such a good book and such a good series thus far . I'm really glad the second one was already done so I can keep reading. I love the connections and I love their personalities and how they mesh and I love how they showed that they can work together instead of being enemy simply because they're different. I was so incredibly happy to read at the end of the book that Amy we can get to go back to her family and that she would bring them with her and make them a part of that family. And I love that the werewolf Rory gets to go because it's obvious that they're gonna have a relationship .This book would be a lot less interesting if there were no relationships. I cannot wait to see how the 2 groups get along I'm sure there will be some funny moments and some learning experiences for both sides.
This is such a good book and such a good series thus far . I'm really glad the second one was already done so I can keep reading. I love the connections and I love their personalities and how they mesh and I love how they showed that they can work together instead of being enemy simply because they're different. I was so incredibly happy to read at the end of the book that Amy we can get to go back to her family and that she would bring them with her and make them a part of that family. And I love that the werewolf Rory gets to go because it's obvious that they're gonna have a relationship .This book would be a lot less interesting if there were no relationships. I cannot wait to see how the 2 groups get along I'm sure there will be some funny moments and some learning experiences for both sides.
December 29, 2021
Weird
This is the 3rd series I’ve now read by this author.
I am both intrigued and frustrated! I loved the first half of this book!!! It was so good and flowed so smoothly and really made me care about Amy and the family she built.
The 2nd half… not so much.
But what is really starting to bug me is how the author highlights and showcases the twisted desires and political maneuverings of certain people/governments/groups, and builds all this (perfectly rational and justified) wary mistrust of said group, and THEN The main character COMPLETELY IGNORES IT and choose to trust said group anyway!!!! Against all common sense!
It’s maddening and confusing!
Amy’s character does not respond to being turned into an alien slave, the way the 1st half of the book built her character to be!
This is the 3rd series I’ve now read by this author.
I am both intrigued and frustrated! I loved the first half of this book!!! It was so good and flowed so smoothly and really made me care about Amy and the family she built.
The 2nd half… not so much.
But what is really starting to bug me is how the author highlights and showcases the twisted desires and political maneuverings of certain people/governments/groups, and builds all this (perfectly rational and justified) wary mistrust of said group, and THEN The main character COMPLETELY IGNORES IT and choose to trust said group anyway!!!! Against all common sense!
It’s maddening and confusing!
Amy’s character does not respond to being turned into an alien slave, the way the 1st half of the book built her character to be!
January 15, 2021
I just finished the last book of this 5 book series and am really sad this the story of Amy, Istvan and her friends seems to have come to an end, but then all good stories should.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this series, it was different from other fantasy and LitRPG books I have read lately and I mean that in a good way. Despite some dark events the book and the characters never loose a positive tone and outlook, in this way also a very befitting story for 2020 and the start of 2021.
It was a lot of fun to follow the MC and her growing circle of "family" and friends.
I will surely pick up some other books from the author as these were the first.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this series, it was different from other fantasy and LitRPG books I have read lately and I mean that in a good way. Despite some dark events the book and the characters never loose a positive tone and outlook, in this way also a very befitting story for 2020 and the start of 2021.
It was a lot of fun to follow the MC and her growing circle of "family" and friends.
I will surely pick up some other books from the author as these were the first.
August 1, 2021
Shaking my head
I don't think this is a particularly bad book, it's a bit of a preppers dream crossed with a touch of fantasy. Characters are not fleshed out, mc doesn't say much throughout and there's not enough character building for her. I liked the idea of it all so it's not a loss but it's not enough to hold my interest on to the next book.
I don't think this is a particularly bad book, it's a bit of a preppers dream crossed with a touch of fantasy. Characters are not fleshed out, mc doesn't say much throughout and there's not enough character building for her. I liked the idea of it all so it's not a loss but it's not enough to hold my interest on to the next book.
July 18, 2022
Humanity has very nearly destroyed the planet, breaking its invisible "shield." Magic enters, bringing all sorts of uber-sentient, storybook beings: the Faerene. An enormous red dragon appears on TV screens everywhere to inform humanity that a new era has been ushered in by the Faerene to save planet Earth. In three days, the dragon asserts, the internet will disappear, along with all public communications systems. All technologies non-existent during the Renaissance will also vanish. 60 to 90% of humanity will die within days. Their corpses will immediately be given back to the earth, along with everything humans have extracted from it: every industrial and post-industrial invention, cars, air conditioning, computers, AI--all of it. Mercifully, there will be no need for mass graves.
In cities where people have no access to water and no way to grow food in a short time, riots and looting occur. Then all guns disappear, leaving only axes, knives, etc.--pre-industrial weapons more useful for agriculture then for killing. In rural areas, people band together in small groups to share what they have, expanding their farms to grow more produce and raise animals for meat. They instigate patrols to fend off refugees but take in those with good intent and competent skills needed for a new retro-future.
Humanity soon learns that the Faerene migration was strictly a one-way ticket; they are here on Earth to stay, unable to return to their home planet, Elysium. They have lost some of their own in combat against a race of predatory insects bent on extracting whatever remaining resources Earth had, intending to leave it a barren planet. Their resources have been somewhat drained by the insect invasion. But the Faerene plan to defend Earth's shield-- forever.
Then, some humans begin to display an unexpected capacity for magic, potentially very dangerous for their utter lack of understanding and control. One hundred of these are essentially hijacked to a remote area near the Black Sea and informed that they will be cultivated for their magic to enhance the powers of Faerene magicians. They will be familiars, just as supposed witches were said to have sentient cats. Those who decline or resist in any way will be summarily executed. They will be, in effect, slaves.
Amy Carlton, whose natural magic flows powerfully even as she merely begins to sense it, has other ideas.
Meanwhile, the Faerene are literally eating the continuing disaster of Fukushima, as well as missiles of war and nuclear power plants. They are creating miles-long backfires to halt enormous wildfires caused by climate change. They have destroyed Manhattan (and its inhabitants) to create an arboreal forest as though it were hundreds of years old--only the Brooklyn Bridge remains, with no traffic. They are intent on showing humanity it cannot continue to grow on any linear scale. Humanity is terrified.
With regard to endless growth, top tier economist Herman Daly wrote today in the New York Times that it is simply unsustainable. "There’s a heroic ethic and then there’s an economic ethic. The economic ethic says: Wait a minute, there’s benefits and costs. Let’s weigh the two. We don’t want to charge right over the cliff. Let’s look at the margin. Are we getting better off or worse? The heroic ethic says: Hang the cost! Full speed ahead! Death or victory right now! Forward into growth! I guess that shows a faith that if we create too many problems in the present, the future will learn how to deal with it." (Billionaire Peter Thiel, who has donated more than $20 millions to the GOP midterm effort, of course espouses this ideology. So does his former PayPal partner, Elon Musk. As for rising fascism in the USA, Thiel is from Germany, while Musk is from S. Africa, both either previous and/or current bastions of white supremacy and patriarchy.) Asked whether he has that faith, Herman Daly immediately responded, "No." You can read the article at:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...
This reader could devoutly wish the Faerene would actualize here, now, as temperatures around the world soar beyond human endurance while the Supreme Court, invested in wealth and gross inequality, cripples the federal government's abilities to curb climate change in any real way. We desperately need the Faerene and their Earth-saving magical powers. Or maybe, instead, we really need intelligent voters unswayed by fear mongering and dedicated to civil service, rather than to self-enrichment.
In cities where people have no access to water and no way to grow food in a short time, riots and looting occur. Then all guns disappear, leaving only axes, knives, etc.--pre-industrial weapons more useful for agriculture then for killing. In rural areas, people band together in small groups to share what they have, expanding their farms to grow more produce and raise animals for meat. They instigate patrols to fend off refugees but take in those with good intent and competent skills needed for a new retro-future.
Humanity soon learns that the Faerene migration was strictly a one-way ticket; they are here on Earth to stay, unable to return to their home planet, Elysium. They have lost some of their own in combat against a race of predatory insects bent on extracting whatever remaining resources Earth had, intending to leave it a barren planet. Their resources have been somewhat drained by the insect invasion. But the Faerene plan to defend Earth's shield-- forever.
Then, some humans begin to display an unexpected capacity for magic, potentially very dangerous for their utter lack of understanding and control. One hundred of these are essentially hijacked to a remote area near the Black Sea and informed that they will be cultivated for their magic to enhance the powers of Faerene magicians. They will be familiars, just as supposed witches were said to have sentient cats. Those who decline or resist in any way will be summarily executed. They will be, in effect, slaves.
Amy Carlton, whose natural magic flows powerfully even as she merely begins to sense it, has other ideas.
Meanwhile, the Faerene are literally eating the continuing disaster of Fukushima, as well as missiles of war and nuclear power plants. They are creating miles-long backfires to halt enormous wildfires caused by climate change. They have destroyed Manhattan (and its inhabitants) to create an arboreal forest as though it were hundreds of years old--only the Brooklyn Bridge remains, with no traffic. They are intent on showing humanity it cannot continue to grow on any linear scale. Humanity is terrified.
With regard to endless growth, top tier economist Herman Daly wrote today in the New York Times that it is simply unsustainable. "There’s a heroic ethic and then there’s an economic ethic. The economic ethic says: Wait a minute, there’s benefits and costs. Let’s weigh the two. We don’t want to charge right over the cliff. Let’s look at the margin. Are we getting better off or worse? The heroic ethic says: Hang the cost! Full speed ahead! Death or victory right now! Forward into growth! I guess that shows a faith that if we create too many problems in the present, the future will learn how to deal with it." (Billionaire Peter Thiel, who has donated more than $20 millions to the GOP midterm effort, of course espouses this ideology. So does his former PayPal partner, Elon Musk. As for rising fascism in the USA, Thiel is from Germany, while Musk is from S. Africa, both either previous and/or current bastions of white supremacy and patriarchy.) Asked whether he has that faith, Herman Daly immediately responded, "No." You can read the article at:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...
This reader could devoutly wish the Faerene would actualize here, now, as temperatures around the world soar beyond human endurance while the Supreme Court, invested in wealth and gross inequality, cripples the federal government's abilities to curb climate change in any real way. We desperately need the Faerene and their Earth-saving magical powers. Or maybe, instead, we really need intelligent voters unswayed by fear mongering and dedicated to civil service, rather than to self-enrichment.
September 10, 2025
WHY!?
"Parts of it were excellent"...
The more I read, the less I liked it.
The worldbuilding is nice. At least to start with.
The Apocalypse is innovative.
The plot is interesting. At least to start with...
The Main Character, Amy, is an entitled selfish brat who needs a smack. Unless she gets exactly what she wants, she sulks. We are supposed to feel sorry for her because she has always gotten every single thing she has pointed to? Because her parents didn't give up their careers to spend all their time loving her only?
I really dislike her. Nothing bad has happened to her. Ever. Nothing bad happens to her during the Apocalypse either. She gets a little dirty. She has to do manual labour. She has a comfortable bed and food and people who take care of her.
But her parents didn't spend all their time loving her! And she wanted to become a psychiatrist, and now she can't!
She is going to have to take a job she didn't choose...
Meanwhile, Earth has been invaded. 6/7 of all people have died, mostly horribly, and the rest have been kicked back to the middle ages.
Why?
That is the question. The Farene have come through a Rift in space-time to save Earth. A lot of them. They are migrating. Not because their own home is destroyed. Not because they have to.
So, why?
The Rift has come to be because we Earthlings don't embrace cyclic living. Earth's natural shield has been broken because we are using up all the resourses. This means that an alien race will come through and kill us all and will use up all the resourses. The Farene. No, no! Bad aliens. Insectile aliens.
We are told that there are many, many worlds, and the Krmvs, or something like that have done it many times.
Well, the Farene have also migrated many times. The way it is described sounds more like colonised, because they have all those worlds still. They are in fact expanding, and they are in competition with the Krmvs...
If they embrace cyclic living, why are they expanding?
But, but, but...
They are healing Earth! They are breaking down all of the technology and all petroleum products and putting them back into Earth. Including all the billions of people they have killed.
Why is this better than what they say that their enemies would do? But the Krmvs would eat us after they kill us...
Dead is dead.
Only if the goal is to make Earth pristine, devoid of humans does it make sense.
And the Farene don't want that. They want Earth for themselves. And Earth's magic, which can be channelled by some Earthlings, so they need some Earthlings too...
I don't understand the Authoress's message. Perhaps it is only nihilistic environmentalism as one walk-on Character says?
"Parts of it were excellent"...
The more I read, the less I liked it.
The worldbuilding is nice. At least to start with.
The Apocalypse is innovative.
The plot is interesting. At least to start with...
The Main Character, Amy, is an entitled selfish brat who needs a smack. Unless she gets exactly what she wants, she sulks. We are supposed to feel sorry for her because she has always gotten every single thing she has pointed to? Because her parents didn't give up their careers to spend all their time loving her only?
I really dislike her. Nothing bad has happened to her. Ever. Nothing bad happens to her during the Apocalypse either. She gets a little dirty. She has to do manual labour. She has a comfortable bed and food and people who take care of her.
But her parents didn't spend all their time loving her! And she wanted to become a psychiatrist, and now she can't!
She is going to have to take a job she didn't choose...
Meanwhile, Earth has been invaded. 6/7 of all people have died, mostly horribly, and the rest have been kicked back to the middle ages.
Why?
That is the question. The Farene have come through a Rift in space-time to save Earth. A lot of them. They are migrating. Not because their own home is destroyed. Not because they have to.
So, why?
The Rift has come to be because we Earthlings don't embrace cyclic living. Earth's natural shield has been broken because we are using up all the resourses. This means that an alien race will come through and kill us all and will use up all the resourses. The Farene. No, no! Bad aliens. Insectile aliens.
We are told that there are many, many worlds, and the Krmvs, or something like that have done it many times.
Well, the Farene have also migrated many times. The way it is described sounds more like colonised, because they have all those worlds still. They are in fact expanding, and they are in competition with the Krmvs...
If they embrace cyclic living, why are they expanding?
But, but, but...
They are healing Earth! They are breaking down all of the technology and all petroleum products and putting them back into Earth. Including all the billions of people they have killed.
Why is this better than what they say that their enemies would do? But the Krmvs would eat us after they kill us...
Dead is dead.
Only if the goal is to make Earth pristine, devoid of humans does it make sense.
And the Farene don't want that. They want Earth for themselves. And Earth's magic, which can be channelled by some Earthlings, so they need some Earthlings too...
I don't understand the Authoress's message. Perhaps it is only nihilistic environmentalism as one walk-on Character says?
July 11, 2025
I have loved everything I’ve read by Jenny - she’s absolutely an auto-buy author for me.
This is the first book in an older series. The book starts put with the beginning of an apocalypse- when dragons, vampires, ogres, elves, and other monsters start appearing in our world and returning it to a Renaissance era level of technology.
Amy is spending the summer as a camp counselor but when the camp closes she chooses to stay in the small town to see what will happen. She hunkers down with some other residents to see what will happened. But after surviving the first few months of the apocalypse, Amy learns that she is one of the few humans who have magic and is destined to become a familiar to one of the Faerene Mages.
This story has a strange premise, but one of the things I love about these books is how kind, competent people just get on about their days. Thrown into literally world ending scenarios, the characters spend some time figuring out how to store food now that plastic will be disappearing. I’m not entirely sure why this kind of story is so appealing to me, but I really love it. This is a short book and mostly serves to set up the series. There’s a great found family and the beginning of mixing cultures, but Amy's pragmatic goodness and determination to thrive is my favorite part.
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